The End of Blame: Chapter 50

"Wow, you're here," he said.  Blair could tell by his face something was very wrong.  He went to Sister Rebecca Katherine and hugged her.  "Hey, Sister."  He made his way to Timothy, who was sitting on a side chair, his cane propped against the arm.  Todd embraced him, and said, "Glad to see you hobbling around.  Still kicking?"

Timothy said, "My Lad, I'm still here, haven't been buried yet.  Though it was close, a few times of late."

"I'm glad you haven't been buried yet.  That would be awkward considering you are alive."

"Indeed.  Are ya all right, Son?"

Todd sighed, and his face said something his words didn't, "I'm good.  I'm doing better."

"That is what counts," Timothy said, "You're looking better.  Ya seem more rested."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Blair could see his distraction, and so could the Brodericks.  The nun said, "Todd, I'm glad to hear that Sam is going to become your son.  Legally, of course."

"Yeah.  The cute little kid wants me as his father.  Imagine that.  At one point, he was my only friend in the world.  Might still be."

"Oh, ya silly.  Well, then, shall we all go out to dinner and celebrate?"  The nun asked.

Blair said, "I think Todd's tired.  Maybe?"

He looked at her, and then said, "Actually, I am.  Another time?"

"That sounds perfect.  I'll be getting my driver around soon, he'll take us to have a bite to eat and bring us home.  Timothy is going to stay at St. Anne's until he can find a place."

Todd got up, went to the table by the door, and extracting a key from the key ring, threw it to Timothy, who caught it.  "What's this, boy?"

"That's the key to the penthouse.  Someone may as well use it."

"That's very kind of ya.  Are ya sure?"

"Yes, of course we are," Blair said.  She could sense that Todd was exhausted.  

"Well, we should be going.  The limo is about to pull up soon.  I'm glad to have seen ya."  The nun said, and walking to Todd, she said, "Dearest, whatever it is, it shall pass.  The Lord is watching over ya, and you have the strength to make it through.  You'll weather it.  Just keep the faith," and she tiptoed to kiss his cheek.

He said, "Thank you, Sister.  I'll be in touch.  We'll all do a special dinner, maybe this weekend.  I'm just . . . tired, is all."

Timothy put his arm around Todd, and said, "Son, don't let it get ya down.  Hang in there.  You're with your family, that's what matters."

They left, and before the door was fully shut, Todd turned to Blair.  "This might come as a surprise to you, Blair, but I'm tired of pretending I'm like everyone else.  Some husband I am."

"Todd, come on.  Stop." 

"What about McBain?  Maybe he's better for you, Blair, and for the kids.  Maybe being around someone like me, no matter how hard I've tried to be different, is not such a good idea."

"Stop it.  Don't do the self-hate, Todd.  Please."  She went to him and touched his face, then said, "You know how I hate that."  He hugged her, and she said, "Let's go to bed early, all right?"  And she started to climb the stairs.

He said, "Okay, but do we have to sleep?"  She turned and looked into his eyes.  He finished, "I need you, Blair."

"Then, you will have me."

***

"We're leaving.  We're gone," Tea said, looking into the backyard, with a twinge of sadness and loss.  "It's over.  No more Llanview."

Zeus, who was paying the movers, said, "I know."  He hugged her from behind, "You all right?"

"Yeah, I am.  It's good for us, isn't it?"

"It will be."

"We can start fresh, live a new life.  None of this Llanview garbage crowding our minds."

"Right," he said, kissing her neck.

She said, "You okay leaving Sam?"

"Sam will be all right, Tea.  I know he will.  Todd and Blair both love him."

She stiffened.  "Whatever you think, he is your son."

Zeus said, "You have to let go of this hate.  They have their lives, and we have ours now.  We have to move on, forget."

She sighed, "I know.  I may have underestimated the hurt he caused me.  I guess it got the best of me," she said.  "But at the same time, I have to take responsibility for my part in this.  I did try and take that little girl away from Blair.  That was...wrong.  Now that I have my own children, it just seems different."

"So, you're being reasonable, today, eh?"

"If you want to call it that."

"I love you," he said, turning her to him.

"Te Amo," she answered.

***

Back at St. Anne's, Sister Rebecca Katherine came across Marty in the solarium.  She was practicing piano, and the nun sat and enjoyed her music.  When she was finished, she said, "I hope you don't mind, Sister.  I was practicing the song that I wrote for Patrick."

"I don't mind at all, dear, and since you're done, can you come and sit by me?"

"Of course, Sister."  Marty did just that.  She said, "I wont have to be here all that much longer.  I'm really getting better."

"I think that's wonderful, dear."

"Sister, I hope you don't mind me asking but, is that article true?  The one about Todd saving your brother's life?"

"Yes, it's true.  Todd donated the money to get the operation.  But, he really saved Timothy another way.  He gave him the will to live and to fight.  Timothy thinks of Todd as a son, and since Todd has no father to speak of, it seems to work perfectly."

"Todd could use a father figure.  I know how it is without family."

"Yes.  Very trying, indeed."

"Patrick has given me a great deal of insight into Todd in recent times.  I've gone down that hatred road before with Todd, and it caused nothing but pain.  In the end, I was wrong about him.  This was after he was pardoned for his crime.  Another man was the rapist attacking nurses, and I caused Todd to almost lose his freedom, this time for a crime he did not commit."

"You've had some bad blood between ya, are ya saying that's gone?"

"I'll never forget what he did, not fully.  But how I can hang on to what he did so long ago, after he's paid with so much of his life?"

"That is a very good question."  The nun said.

"I don't . . . Sister, I don't think I can blame him for my breakdown.  I mean, I used to.  I used to make it all about him.  But, it wasn't.  It was . . . about my baby.  The one I lost.  And about losing John, and of course, it all started when I lost Patrick."

"This is insightful, my dear.  You're doing so well."

"Thank you, Sister," she said, and turned to leave.

As Marty made her way back to her room, the nun looked after her and said, "You were more help than you can imagine dear.  And thank ya Lord for helping her to forgive my boy."

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